Final answer:
China's one-child policy was an adaptive measure to control population growth, leading to a slower birth rate but with controversial ethical implications and societal impacts, like gender imbalance.
Step-by-step explanation:
China's policy of one child per family, known as the one-child policy, is considered an adaptive strategy to control the nation's rapidly growing population. Initially established in 1979 and phased out in 2016, this policy aimed to manage and mitigate environmental, economic, and social issues arising from population growth. Despite the policy's effectiveness in reducing the number of births, it received widespread criticism for its harsh enforcement, leading to negative societal impacts such as sex-selective abortions and a distorted gender ratio. Whether the one-child policy is considered a positive custom is debatable and depends on subjective viewpoints regarding its ethical implications and effectiveness. It is true that it slowed population growth, but the methods used and consequences brought about by the policy were controversial.